Well, folks... this is the FINAL post in this silly 'lil blog series that we may or may not have started as a way of stalling the writing process. But, stall no more! Only three weeks & one day away from our 'scheduled pregnancy announcement' --- September 7th --- the end of the first trimester. Ideally, by that date we will have these worksheets complete:
Completing these will ensure our characters are hashed out, complex & compelling. As well as, provide us with a solid story structure. If we come across additional obstacles, we'll reference this article:
We really appreciate K.M. Weiland for making so much of her information available for free. We hope to support her financially in the future by purchasing her book & the accompanying workbook.
This post is a week overdue because last Sunday we were recovering from an existential crisis brought on by eye allergies gone WRONG... WAY WRONG. At the beginning of June, we celebrated our partner's birthday by sitting alongside the Pecos river with snacks & cold beers. We do this a couple times a month throughout the Summer, but we did it with extra pizazz since it was his birthday. The last bit of pollen came blowing through that day & it really did a number on our body. We couldn't breathe by the time we left & our eyes were itchy, watery... we were an absolute mess. But, we took a shower & moved on with life. We thought it was odd that they weren't getting better, but didn't think much of it until after the house swap. Moving all the furniture & throwing up dust agitated them even more. Come August 7th, after trying several home remedies, we were still not doing well. Our partner suggested that we reach out to a doctor & if he's suggesting that... you know it's serious. He is NOT a fan of doctors. Fortunately, the eye doctor was able to squeeze us in that very morning! Even better, our eyes are back to normal now & she awarded us a clean bill of health this past Friday.
It seems, however, that we aren't alone in the resistance to writing this novel. As if the universe is acting as our antagonist... taunting us with minor inconveniences to see if we'll treat them as major ones. But, we will not cancel. We will not delete. We will not say, "No," to a calling we've already heeded. Which leads us to the final three letters in the ABC's of novel writing... X, Y, & Z. In which, X is seen as a universal symbol for NO, CANCEL, &/or DELETE.
is for VARIABLE/COEFFICIENT
The only thing we remember from algebra is thinking, "Why am I here? I'll never need to know the value of x in the future." Which we're sure is a semi-universal experience. The belief that one won't need to know this in the future, not forgetting it ever happened. We're unsure if the anemia that comes with our disorder is the cause of forgetting everything we learned or something every brain eventually does. Whatever the case, we had to remind ourselves what a variable & coefficient was... we're still not sure we grasp the concept. shrugs
x is used in algebra to represent an unspecified value or quantity --- variable. When seen with a coefficient, a numerical or constant quantity, before it one knows to multiply the variable by that number.
X is used in statistics to represent a random variable. This random variable connects theoretical probability with real world data.
And, of course, we've already mentioned that X can mean cancel, delete, or no.
One may also use an X as a way of checking a box on a survey or test.
How exactly does this relate to the novel writing process?
Good question! Let's look into it a bit further...
For the last six weeks we've been working on this blog series & we've covered a fair bit of ground. But, there are unsolved equations! There are unspecified values! The problem must be solved before the real writing can begin.
We know the author --- Beaux Oxlow. We've established a working title, set a word count goal, & have an idea of what genre the book falls under. Characters are currently a variable. While we have an understanding of the characters in the original myth, our novel is a re-telling of that myth & in it they're meant to have names of Gaelic origin. Speaking of Gaelic origin, we need to revisit our notebook that contains our studies of the Gaelic language before we write any dialogue. We need to remind ourselves how people greet one another, we need to see if we can alter our keyboard so it types in Gaelic script, we need a reminder on general grammar rules, & we need to decide how much dialogue there will be. The exposition in its entirety is an unspecified value. Sure, all the characters are from somewhere in Ireland... but where? Sure, we understand that Persephone's character is motivated by her need for independence & growth, but what motivates Demeter's character to meet her with such push-back?
Surprisingly enough, it seems the first act is a semi-solved problem. In algebra class, one might say it is the problem on the worksheet that you showed half of your work for before jotting down the answer. I don't know about your school experience, but in our case this was a big no-no. Fortunately, between now & September 7th, we plan to complete the three-act worksheet will prompt us to show every last bit of our work. We were pleased with how easily we mapped out Persephone's character arc or hero's journey, but she is not the only hero in this story. In fact, she's meant to be the quest guide for heroes. It will be pertinent between now & the closing out of the 'first trimester' to have a solid understanding of the three heroes Persephone's character will be assigned to work with. Similarly, we will need to map out the inciting event --- call to adventure --- for each hero, taking care not to overwhelm the reader with multiple storylines.
Astin just completed a blog for his apothecary titled 'The X-Files', in which he went through every lover we've ever loved. Or, at least, the ones who made a significant enough impact to remain in the memory bank. --- buymeacoffee.com/soapsandrumsapothecary/the-x-files-5020965 --- Looking over our exes & our experiences with them has helped shape our perspective on the love interest[s]. But, completing the character worksheet referenced earlier will solidify these thoughts. While the midpoint seems to be a mostly solved problem, we suspect our characters may shift & sway the storyline until it suits their desires. 'Tis the most exciting part of these 'unsolved mysteries' we call books. Throughout this series we continued to craft pinch points, the resolution, ideas surrounding the acts, etc. However, our focus does seem to be stuck on Persephone's character. This isn't surprising since we relate to her, but taking the other characters into consideration might cause us to return to our worksheet & make necessary changes.
After the last blog, we realized that while we've begun the process of studying the Celtic myths, we've got a ways to go before we understand them as much as we do the Greek myths. This, in & of itself, will create plot holes a plenty if we don't solve that. So, we will spend the next few weeks reading the tales & getting further acquainted with the gods/goddesses. During our down time, we plan to watch the series 'Britannia', which we hope will help zero-in on some missing details. All in all, we're proud of how far this series that may or may not have been started to stall the process has taken us. It seems that even in trying to avoid the task, we somehow tackled it anyway.
is for UPSILON
The ex-husband was in a fraternity. A couple of the boys we dated were also in fraternities. But, we never could make sense of the obsession with 'Greek life'. But, numbers? We love numbers.
Upsilon corresponds to number 400, according to the Greek numerical system, known as isopsephy. Scholars of the Bible may say that this corresponds to this verse in Genesis...
"Adonai said to Avram, 'Know this for certain: your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will be slaves & held in oppression there four hundred years."
This, of course, was a time of great suffering for the Israelites, but it ended with divine deliverance.
While we haven't exactly suffered over the last seven weeks, we have undergone a test of our faith. 'The Morrigan', the Celtic god of war, sex, sovereignty, survival, & death, asked us to give up coffee for three months --- June 29th thru October 10th. Only seven weeks & six days remain in our contract. Which is just four short weeks & five quick days after our 'scheduled pregnancy announcement'. We are walking beside her with full faith that approximately 17,500 words will have been written by then. Which would put us into the second act. Do we think we could've written the same amount of words while still drinking coffee? Probably. But, it's the principle of the matter. When one asks their deities to bestow upon them gifts of magnanimity, one should expect to be asked to sacrifice something great in return.
In the spiritual community, one might break the number 400 down to 4. In the tarot, the number 4 corresponds with 'The Emperor'. 'The Emperor' is the representation of one's masculine essence in its fullest exaltation. Ideally, they are being seen as structured, regulated, & fatherly. In their detriment, they may be perceived as domineering & dysregulated. In astrology, the number 4 correlates to the 4th house, which deals with one's family life & ancestry. Then, of course, there are the suits of the tarot --- cups, swords, wands, & pentacles. The 'four of cups' carries an energy of apathy &/or F.O.M.O. when seen upright. It's not any better when reversed, which represents someone being withdrawn or retreating. However, a retreat that results in the 'four of swords' energy might be necessary sometimes to restore oneself to a state of mental health through resting, meditating, & preparing. This prevents burn out & allows for deep contemplation. Potentially, after much needed rest, one will be able to return to the 'real world' for a time of celebration with their community. Sometimes solitude only lasts a short time. Our relationship with coffee had become greedy, we'd long forgotten --- if we ever really knew --- how powerful of a drug it truly is &, like with all drugs, we believe one should approach with respect. So, this time of budgeting & controlling our connection to caffeine has greatly improved our overall outlook.
The irony is not lost on us that the trials & tribulations with our partner's mother, the complications with our eye, & the impending death of our cat all fell after we willing gave up one of our favorite vices. Almost as if 'The Morrigan' wanted to see if we could maintain a state of clarity WITHOUT our 'go-juice', despite chaos reigning all around. We're quite happy to report, we believe we've done a pretty good job. And, it's in that belief that we're able to tell ourselves to keep going with this project. To push through the resistance. To write until katharsis presents itself.
Upsilon's origins can be traced back to the Phoenician letter 'Waw', which likely depicted a hook or a club. The scythe rune in Astin's bag of charms represents masculine energy. Masculine energy belongs to female bodied people & male bodied people. It is simply the energy that propels one towards action. However, the scythe can also signify that caution is needed because a sudden change is ahead. This change could be an ending of some sorts, maybe even death. There is death all around us right now. Our cat is in his final days. Our partner's mother is in her final months [maybe years]. And, tomorrow is the 17th anniversary of our dad's death. We remain present. We continue to be steadfast. In our opinion, this is the epitome of 'The Emperor' energy... not allowing the chaos around you to 'rock your boat'.
is for Z-TIME
What even is time? Truth be told, the concept doesn't make much sense to us. We understand that there is a time every day that we roll out of bed, there are several times per day that we desire to eat, & there is a time every day that we return to bed to sleep. But, keeping track of the exact time on the clock isn't something we find ourselves doing much.
Z-time or Zulu time or Coordinated Universal Time is a twenty-four hour clock that connects us all. The creation of this clock happened in 1852 in Greenwich, England at the Royal Observatory. If one chose to, they could visit this place & straddle the hemispheres. The location of the observatory serves as the 'zero' or the prime meridian on meteorology maps. Because of this, at any given time, in any given place, one can know what time it is in another place.
While we don't fully comprehend the concept, nor are we motivated to study it in depth, there is something comforting about the uniting aspect of it. It's one of the reasons we believe we find more comfort on the internet than we do in real life. It's interesting to think about our internet friends in the UK or Canada or Cambodia or Hungary going about their days, just as we do, but doing them at completely different times. We find it just as interesting that books, TV shows, music, & other forms of media can create bridges across vast oceans, tall mountains, & through gaping valleys... allowing us all to be one.
We can only hope that our novel will one day be one of those pieces of media. If you've stuck it out through this entire series, THANK YOU! We truly had no idea what to expect from it, but we're glad we set out on the path & walked it anyway. If you feel led to send some support our way, we'd appreciate it!
Beaux Oxlow